ICE CREAM. YOU SCREAM!!!

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What is ice cream? Ice cream is characterized by containing milk solid and being consumed in frozen state and it’s frequently aerated. The term ice cream is covers a wide range of different types of frozen dessert. Ice cream is a frozen mixture of combination of components of milk fat or non-dairy fats, milk solid-non-fat (MSNF), sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, water and flavouring. And other ingredients such as egg products, colouring and starch hydrolysates may also be added. Within the frozen dairy dessert category, ice cream is the most widely consumed product. Based on food Malaysian law, ice cream ingredients shall efficiently have heat-treated either by being kept at temperature of not less than 69°C for at least 20 min, or not less than 74°C for at least 10 min.

Functions of selected ice cream components:

Components	Functions
Milk fat	Increase richness of flavour which results if smoothness of                      texture
Non-diary fat	Provides good structure and texture at lower cost than fat milk
Milk solid-                  non-fat	Improves body and texture (protein) through emulsification
Sugar	Lowers freezing point imparts of sweetness to the ice cream
Stabilizers	Enhance smooth texture and shelf life
Emulsifiers	Promote fat destabilization, leading to dryness, smoothness and              good melting properties
Flavouring	Increase acceptability
Colouring	Improves attractiveness
Egg products	Improve whipping ability (foamy melted product)

Data retrieved from: Goff, Harry Douglas., and Richard W. Hartel. Ice Cream. Springer, 2013.

The composition of ice cream varies in different countries and in different localities and market within each country. Sometimes, the best composition for a manufacturer to produce is difficult to establish. Consideration must be given to legal requirements, quality of product desired, raw materials available, plant equipment and process. The milk fat content of ice cream may vary from less than 1 to 20% depending upon such factors as regulations, expected characteristics, price, and competition. As the fat content of ice cream increased, the MSNF must be decreased to avoid sandiness (the crystallization of milk sugar or lactose in the finished ice cream).  According to Food Regulations 1985, ice cream shall contain not less than 10% of milk fat or vegetable fat or a combination of these. And the volume of air incorporated in ice cream shall be such the weight per unit of the volume of the ice cream in its frozen condition.

The basic step of the ice cream making process are shown in figure bellow.

Flow chart of ice cream processing

Based on the chart above, the ingredients are selected based on the formulation. The milk fat source, non-fat solids, stabilizers and emulsifiers are blended to ensure complete mixing of liquid and dry ingredients. Blending requires rapid agitation to incorporate powders, and often high-speed blenders are used. The ice cream mix then is pasteurized. Pasteurization is used to control the biological point, in addition it reduces the number spoilage organism such as psychrotrophs and helps to hydrate some of the components.  Then, ice cream mix is homogenized to decrease the milk fat globule size to form a better emulsion and contribute to a smoother, creamier ice cream by breaking down or reducing the size of the fat globules found in milk or cream to less than 1 µm. Homogenization also ensures that the emulsifiers and stabilizers are well blended and evenly distributed in the ice cream mix before it is frozen. Ice cream mix is aged. Aging the mix cools the fat down and crystallize before freezing, allows the milk fat to partially crystallize and the gives the proteins stabilizers time to hydrate. The next process is freezing, Ice cream mix can be frozen in batch or continuous freezers and the conditions used will depend on the type of freezer. The continuous freezing process is much faster than the batch freezing process. The ice cream is cooled to a holding temperature of -15°C or lower. Freezing rate must still be rapid, so freezing techniques involve low temperature (-40°C). During storage however, the temperature is usually kept even lower, typically -25 to -30°C. At this temperature approx. 90% of the water in the ice cream is frozen into ice crystals. The remaining 10% which containing sugar and salt is in frozen condition. Products stored at -25 to -30°C possess extremely good stability.

Have you ever made ice cream? Or you must have eaten ice cream. Therefore, you might already know that ice cream made of many ingredients. But do you know what is the main ingredients that keep the ice cream smooth and creamy? Ice cream is both a colloid (a type of emulsion), and a foam. An emulsion is formed when the milk and cream are dispersed in the water and ice with the emulsifying agent usually being egg yolk. Egg yolks have traditionally been used as a natural emulsifier in ice cream making. Although they are not as efficient at promoting partial coalescence of the fat globules as the synthetic glycerol or sorbitan esters. Since fat is one of the main components that provide smoothness to ice cream. The foam in ice cream is formed because of air in the ice cream not mixing with the other substances but instead forming small bubbles in the bulk.  To help keeping the foamy texture, ice cream must contain thickening agents which are designed to help foam stay foamy.

Ice Cream Calories and Nutrition Facts:

Source: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ice-cream-calories-and-nutrition-facts/

Ice cream is delicious, but it is a high-calorie, high fat food. The amount of fat in your ice cream makes a significant difference to the total calories because fats have more than double the calories of carbohydrates. The USDA Nutrient Database reports that fat-free and sugar-free ice cream has 88 calories in one scoop. Just like different types of milk, the amount of total fat in ice cream, which affects the cholesterol and saturated fat consumed, varies a lot from fat-free to full-fat varieties. Therefore, check the labels on the ice cream you buy if you're watching your fat intake.